EMPA-REG and Other Cardiovascular Outcome Trials of Glucose-lowering Agents: Implications for Future Treatment Strategies in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

EMPA-REG and Other Cardiovascular Outcome Trials of Glucose-lowering Agents: Implications for Future Treatment Strategies in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Clin Ther. 2016 May 19; Authors: Schernthaner G, Schernthaner-Reiter MH, Schernthaner GH Abstract During the last decade, the armamentarium for glucose-lowering drugs has increased enormously by the development of DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors, allowing individualization of antidiabetic therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Some combinations can now be used without an increased risk for severe hypoglycemia and weight gain. Following a request of the US Food and Drug Administration, many large cardiovascular (CV) outcome studies have been performed in patients with longstanding disease and established CV disease. In the majority of CV outcome studies, CV risk factors were well controlled and a high number of patients were already treated with ACE inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, statins and antiplatelet drugs. Most studies with insulin glargine and newer glucose-lowering drugs (saxagliptin, alogliptin, sitagliptin, lixisenatide) demonstrated safety of newer glucose-lowering agents but did not show superiority in the CV outcomes compared with placebo. By contrast, in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME (Empagliflozin Cardiovascular Outcome Event Trial in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients) study, CV death, all-cause mortality, and hospitalization for...
Source: Clinical Therapeutics - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Clin Ther Source Type: research